


Children of the Wild Ones

by ThiamHarpy



Category: Teen Wolf (TV), thiam - Fandom
Genre: Additional warnings may be added later, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But also, Good Theo Raeken, Hunter Theo Raeken, Jeff Davis WHO???, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Some angst, Some things are the same - some are different, Werewolf Liam Dunbar, i wanted slow burn but these things end up being like roasting marshmallows, if you squint.. you may see some jett, some humor as well..an attempt at least, timelines who???, you know i had to do it to them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2019-10-16 03:42:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17542019
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThiamHarpy/pseuds/ThiamHarpy
Summary: All Liam Dunbar wanted to do was make it through a high school year and to graduation without incident. Enter Theo Raeken, who comes from a family of hunters that are dead set against this being an easy year for Liam. Both of them quickly learn that there's more to each other than what meets the eye.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xTarmanderx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xTarmanderx/gifts), [VolsungartheMighty](https://archiveofourown.org/users/VolsungartheMighty/gifts).



> ~*~ means point of view change :) 
> 
> Title comes from the song "We Must Be Killers" by Mikky Ekko and of course Tara for choosing which sounded better. The song came on when I was thinking of a title and I was like "ope! that's it" lol
> 
> Tara, Kane.. thank you so much for being such great friends, love you two. 💜💜💜
> 
> I hope this first chapter is enjoyable!!! :)

Liam knew he shouldn’t have been out in the woods at this time. He knew Mason coming with him and Corey was incredibly dangerous considering the town had never been completely quiet or peaceful. Of course, Scott wasn’t around to intervene with any issues that may come up. So, it was up to Liam and co to try and keep things balanced. It would help if his Alpha was around though. Hell, it would help if a lot of people were around, 

Mason and Corey were the ones who pointed out the surge of hunters in the area. How Liam had missed them was a mystery to him. Of course after his friends had brought it to his attention, it was completely obvious and he was frustrated with himself for not being able to see it sooner. Sure, there hadn’t been any actual death (that he knew about, anyway) but he was left in charge after Scott left and he had failed to notice their biggest enemies.

To make matters worse, there were multiple people heading their way. 

“Shh,” Liam warned, using his wolf hearing to scope out the area. 

“What is it?” Mason asked hesitantly. 

“Heartbeats… at least six of them.” Liam replied, tilting his head to the side as if it would help him hear better.

“Human?” Corey whispered.

“Hunters.” Liam said, “They have someone… caught someone.”

“What should we do?” 

“Nothing.” Liam murmured quickly, turning back towards his friends. “Corey, take Mason and get out of here. I’m going to help.”

“Liam, you can’t.” Mason argued, “What if you get caught?”

“Corey, please.” Liam urged. 

Corey didn’t argue, he nodded and grabbed ahold of Mason’s hand before turning them both invisible. Liam took a deep and steady breath, trying his best to keep his footsteps quiet on the forest floor. He crouches behind a tree, listening to his surroundings once again as he tries tracking the group of hunter’s whereabouts. The scent of the other wolf had been what Liam’s senses latched onto first. Whoever it was, they were young.

Liam quickly caught up to them, stealthily taking out the hunters at the back of the group, disarming them while working his way through the group. One hunter had a stun baton aimed right for his chest, but he was able to duck and grab the man from behind, effectively restricting him of consciousness. It wasn’t long until all that was left was the young boy constricted in shackles. He looked up at Liam; fear, pain, and frustration lacing his features. Liam recognized him from school and flashed his eyes, hoping to show the boy that he was there to help. The boy flashed his eyes in return and Liam was relieved to find golden orbs looking back at him. 

The stench of wolfsbane leaking from the boy’s side filled the air around him. Remembering that sickly stench that once had come from his own body prompted him to act quick to break the constraints and pull the kid to his feet. 

“We need to hurry.” Liam said, inspecting the poisoned wound before pulling him along behind him.

Liam led the boy through the woods, heading in the direction that Mason had left his car earlier. It was the closest route to get to Dr. Deaton and get the kid some help. He knew wolfsbane was usually burned out if it wasn’t a rare species but given that he didn’t have a lighter or time to sit down and rub some sticks together, their best bet would be the former Druid. 

They had stopped briefly when the kid took a minute to rest, Liam allowed him a few minutes to compose himself and catch some air, before he was pulling on the kid’s arm once again to get him to hurry along. 

They failed to notice the footsteps and heartbeats closing in on them before pain ripped through Liam’s shoulder, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. The boy turned, preparing to help him before Liam stopped him. He could hear two people and told himself that he could handle this on his own. Luckily, the arrow protruding through his shoulder hadn’t been laced with anything. The other boy was a different story, he needed help before it got too late.

“Go!” He gritted, “Get to the animal clinic and wait for me!” 

The boy’s face contorted in confusion as he panted, “The what?” 

“Go!” Liam repeated, hearing the footsteps grow closer. Liam waited until the boy ran off before he ran in another direction, gaining the hunter’s attention with a roar. He could be fairly good at causing a distraction, might as well do it now.

He had been doing pretty well, dodging the hunter’s arrows even with the one still sticking through his shoulder. What he wasn’t expecting was the flash bolt that lit up the tree in front of him, blinding him instantly. Liam fell to his knees, covering his eyes up with his palms. God, he hated those things. Were they really necessary? He grunted in pain, mumbling obscenities as the spots behind his lids burned through him over and over.

“Liam?” A voice came.

Liam froze. He knew that scent, that heartbeat, that voice. They had burned into his memory about a month ago. It belonged to the guy Liam had been crushing on ever since he transferred in last month. He always had the worst of luck these days and the boy he had been fantasizing about had ended up being a hunter. It was the sour cherry on top of a very rotten cake.

He opened his eyes slowly, catching sight of none other than Theo Raeken holding a crossbow right in front of his face. Given the situation was anything but humorous, Liam couldn’t help the chuckle that crept out of him.

“I should have known.” Liam laughed, shaking his head.

Theo lowered his crossbow, but it wasn’t long until more footsteps closed in. Liam knew that it was going to be tough getting out of this one, wishing more than anything that he was able to send out a distress call without getting someone else injured. A girl stepped up next to Theo, carrying a sword at her side while shining an annoyingly bright lantern into his already burning eyes. She looked and smelled a lot like Theo.

“This isn’t the omega we had.” She acknowledged. Was she disappointed? Over the fact that they lost him? “This must be the one who took out Rollins and the rest.”

“On his own?” Theo asked.

“It appears so.” Tara replied, “Looks like the other escaped.” 

Liam found himself confused at the scents coming from the two. They both smelled of a mixture between disbelief, frustration, and… relief? 

Liam glanced up at Theo through his lashes. He was fully aware that he shouldn’t be taking in the boy’s appearance but here he was, eyes roaming over his body as usual. He had to admit that given any other situation, (preferably a non-fatal one) he would have loved to be on his knees for him. It worried him that even in the face of death, he could still fantasize over this boy.

The girl scoffed, “Let’s see how he fares against a double edge, shall we?” Liam watched as she unhooked the sheath from her hip and handed the sword off to Theo. He wanted to shudder at the thought of that sword being used on him, but he wasn’t one to show weakness and he certainly wasn’t going to let them use it against him, so he kept his shoulders squared and his head high. Praying for some sort of an idea to come to him.

“Remember, use both hands but space them out. The hilt is long for a reason.” She instructed, coaxing Theo’s right hand under the guard. “Left hand near the pommel.” 

The change in Theo’s demeanor had slapped Liam in the face. The boy’s heartbeat had spiked, there was a scent of fear filling Liam’s nostrils and he looked sick. Liam continued to watch him until he caught a low whisper of his name, it was only then that he smelled someone familiar. 

Corey was here. Liam furrowed his brows in concentration, trying to detect which direction his name had come from so he could make a quick escape. Sure, it was cowardice but so were these hunters. He didn’t even realize that they had moved closer to him, that Theo was standing a lot closer now and looking right down at him, something swirling behind his watery eyes.    

Theo tilted his head at Liam, confusion obviously washing over him as well as… something else that Liam couldn’t place. Liam could sense Corey’s presence come up behind him. He smirked and looked up at Theo.

“Next time I’m on my knees for you, it better be worth it,” He said, grunting as he broke the arrow free from his shoulder and dropping it as he stood. Theo’s eyes widened as they flicked up to the space beside Liam as Corey appeared. The girl took a step back, raising the crossbow she took from Theo and aiming at him. Corey quickly grabbed ahold of Liam’s hand, and Liam’s world lit up in a dull green. The girl cursed as she turned in circles to search for them.

They quickly made their way through the preserve with Corey leading them. Liam was hoping the former knew where they were going because the longer they stayed in these woods, the easier it would be for the hunters to track them. His prayers were answered when he spotted Mason’s car parked at the edge of the preserve, waiting for them with the boy Liam had saved earlier.

“Hurry up!” Mason shouted through the window.

The two wasted no time, quickly getting into the car as Mason barely waited for them to shut their doors before speeding off. 

“Dude, you’re bleeding,” Mason gasped, turning his focus onto his best friend.

“Just call Deaton.” Liam grunted, trying his best to get his breathing under control as he looked at the boy beside him. They had bigger problems to deal with right now with the poison running through the kid’s bloodstream. 

“He’s meeting us there.” 

*

The ride to the animal clinic didn’t last very long with the way Mason was speeding. Liam was surprised that they didn’t get pulled over. Ah, the perks of defending the town from a different shit storm every couple of months.

Deaton had met with them easily, offering a small smile while he held the gate to the back rooms open for them. It always blew Liam away that he was always ready to help, even in the middle of the night, he’d never known how to thank him properly.

Struggling to keep themselves from falling over due to the tall stranger’s weight, they made their way into the examination room as quickly as they could.

“He doesn’t look too good.” Corey announced. The stranger’s skin had gone fairly pale for his darker complexion. 

“Get him on the table.” Deaton instructed, walking towards a drawer and moving things around inside. Liam and Corey hoisted the boy onto a table after Mason moved some scattered supplies out of their way. 

“Do you know what you’re doing?” The boy slurred, head lolling to the side as he tried looking at the older man who stepped up next to him to inspect the wound. It was going to be tricky to hold this kid down once they got started.

The older man nodded his head, lips turning into a frown as he held up a small torch, “You’re not going to like it.” 

Liam, along with Mason and Corey grabbed ahold of the boy as firmly as they could as a bright flame produced out of the torch, Liam looking away to avoid the sights of the rotting flesh. The room quickly filled with the sound of the wolf roaring out in pain. Liam tried to help take his pain away, but with hole in his shoulder, he wasn’t of much help and the poor kid drifted out of consciousness.

Luckily, the wolfsbane used wasn’t a rare species and as soon as Deaton had turned the torch off, the boy slowly started healing.

“I can take care of that for you.”  Deaton gestured to Liam’s shoulder. 

Liam shook his head, “It’s fine.” 

“It’s not healing, Liam.” 

He rolled his eyes, of course he knew it wasn’t healing, but he was stubborn. Half of the time, he couldn’t handle being around blood or smelling it. Which was ridiculous when he thought about it, he was a werewolf for fucks sake and this kid’s wound was just burned. Some things got to him more than others and he could hold his ground pretty well in a serious situation.

“It’s just taking longer.” Liam said, going to remove his shirt to give better access to the wound. Stopping as the pain flared up again. Luckily, Mason was right there to help him out of the shirt.

He could feel the pressure even as Deaton touched at it with gentle hands. Liam watched as the man examined the wound with focused eyes. 

“Why isn’t is healing that fast?” Mason asked, stepping closer to his friend to take a look at the wound.

“Breaking through the skin and tissue is one thing. The arrow pierced through muscle and bone, it’s more than just a nick or a graze.” The older man explained.

“Is that real bad?” Corey asked.

“It could have been worse.” Deaton replied. He was right, they didn’t have to use their imaginations to know what could have happened. Experiencing the affects before and the kid laying unconscious on table next to them were proof enough. The older man looked between the three of them, “What all happened out there?” 

“There were hunters-”

“It was Theo.” Corey interrupted, Liam grimaced as the name left his friend’s mouth.

“What!” Mason exclaimed, “He’s a hunter?” 

“He was there.” Liam mumbled, growing aggravated that he wasn’t aware that something had been off about the guy. 

Just once he would like his chances of making it to graduation to be high. Just when he started getting comfortable with the idea of being able to relax, a new threat appears. Now, it’s in the form of a handsome face. 

“Hey, hey! Not so fast.” Liam heard Deaton say. He turned to find the man supporting the stranger as he was trying to find his footing. “Take it easy.”

“You’re safe here,” Mason started, interrupted by a shallow laugh from the boy.

“I’ve heard that one before.” He grunted out, “Did you already forget about what happened tonight?”

“You’re safe now.” Corey defended.

The tall boy shook his head before turning to Liam, “Thank you for what you did out there.” 

Liam nodded towards his friends, “They helped. Neither one of us would be here if it weren’t for them.” He pointed out. “You could show a little appreciation.”

The guy looked to the floor, “You’re right, thank you. All of you.” 

Deaton was the next to speak, “You’re welcome to stay here,” It occurred to them at once that they still didn’t know this person’s name, the kid must have picked up on it because a second later he supplied it.

“It’s, Josh. And it’s fine, I have a place to go.” 

“The wolfsbane is still working it’s way out if your system,” Mason explained, “The wound is healed but you’ll still be too weak to fight back if you find trouble.” 

Josh turned to look at Deaton again with a knowing look on his face, “Call Satomi.” 

Liam perked up at that name and he stepped forward, “Satomi? I thought you were an omega?” 

“By all rights I am, I’m not officially apart of their pack.” Josh replied, shooting Liam a look of disdain “Doesn’t mean I don’t have a place to go when needed.” 

Deaton looked at them with an unreadable expression before speaking, “It’s not easy to get ahold of her when she doesn’t want to be found.” 

Mason and Corey shared a look before turning to Liam with a hint of a smile on both of their faces. Liam rolled his eyes as soon as he picked up on their thoughts. Of course he would have to deal with the one person who could get under his skin more than anyone. He’s already having such a great night as it is. 

“Brett.” He grimaced.

~*~

Theo was dreading going to the woods tonight, all he wanted was a peaceful night at home to study for his classes. Moving around a lot had already caused him to be held back a year and he wished his parents cared more about wanting him to get a good education. Nothing was more important than their cause. 

Their lifestyle and line of work had never really been hidden from their children and by the time you turned twelve, you started training. Theo hated that everything came easier for his sister Tara, who was able to make it through school with flying colors and make her first kill at fifteen. Thirteen-year-old Theo couldn’t understand why it was such a great accomplishment. Their parents looked at him as if he were a poor excuse of a hunter. And maybe he was, here he was at seventeen; inexperienced and no kills under his belt. 

This was why Tara was dragging him out into the woods at the late hour. It was meant to be easy, she had it all planned out for him. The werewolf that had been captured was young and small with no experience in using his abilities, she shared her suspicions of him being recently turned. They would be meeting with a group that were a part of their brigade and they would be bringing the wolf.

“Nervous?” Tara inquired, keeping her eyes on the road ahead of them. Theo shrugged, not caring if she saw him or not. 

Tara sighed and shifted in her seat, “You need to keep your mind clear. Just like dad said, ‘you can’t let them inside.’. We have a job to do, Theo.” 

“I know what dad says.” Theo spat, it’s only been engrained into his memory for as long as he could remember. So, yes, maybe he was reluctant in going after his first kill, he couldn’t help the way he felt about it. 

“It’s not that big of a deal, it’ll come naturally to you.” She tried. They turned onto a dark path, the car slowing before eventually to a stop. Theo could feel himself growing anxious, he swallowed harshly as he rolled the passenger window down, so he could have some fresh air. He didn’t want to do this. 

There was nothing natural or normal about any of this. They were hunting monsters that most people had only read about or seen in movies. Theo had only seen a werewolf once, when he wasn’t supposed to. It was when he was ten and he witnessed his father and a couple of his men kill a young man. The glowing eyes and the fangs haunted his dreams for months after that happened. The thing that has stuck with him the most though - the severed body.

Theo wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Tara got a message over her receiver from the other hunters, announcing their location. She was quick to pop the trunk and gather some supplies, handing off a crossbow and a quiver to Theo, completely ignoring his hesitance as she grabbed one her own, a smaller one that she could carry on her shoulder when needed. Her waist was accompanied by a large sword their father had made. Tara grabbed a few more items from the trunk, holding up what Theo could recognize as a flash bolt before closing the trunk lid.

“Let’s go.” Tara ordered. Theo followed behind, careful to stay close enough to his sister who held the lantern lighting their path. Another voice came over the receiver Tara place at her hip, frantic and informing her that they had been ambushed, and the werewolf had gotten free. 

Theo followed behind her when she took off in a quick run, skidding to a stop to not bump into her as she crouched down to hide behind a fallen tree.

“There,” She whispered, “Shoot.”

Theo could make out two people standing together, one leaning against the trunk of a tree while the other was trying to urge them up. He took a shaky breath before raising the bow up, docking an arrow into place. He inhaled through his nose, closing his eyes, intentionally going against everything he knew and exhaling only as he let the arrow fly.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the cry of pain, Tara looked up at him with a sinister smile before hopping up to her feet.

“You got him.” She affirmed, “Come on.” 

The two wolves were gone by the time they made their way down from the vantage point and Theo was hoping that they would stop here. Tara didn’t share his hopes as she looked at the ground below them.

“See how the tracks lead both ways?” She asked, looking towards him. He nodded in reply to show he was following along.

“The tracks heading that way lead out of here, that means they split up. Those lead back into the forest. That’s the way we go.” And as if on cue, a roar sounded through the trees, both of their heads whipped towards the sound before Tara looked at him.

“We’re still close,” She said reaching into her pocket and holding out a metallic object. Theo recognized it as a flash bolt, “You put it on just like an arrowhead, just make sure to shoot it ahead of him that way it will render him blind.” 

Tara quickly loaded the bolt onto an arrow before handing it off to Theo. “Can you do this?” Theo nodded his head, docking the arrow into his bow with shaky hands. He’d have to try, he had no choice now. When the time came, the arrow went soaring. 

Theo had gone ahead by the order of his sister, telling him he had to make sure the wolf wouldn’t get away this time. He proceeded with caution, holding his weapon at the ready. He had seen a werewolf before, he had even seen one killed right before his eyes but when he came upon the wolf in question, he was surprised to find someone he knew from school. 

“Liam?” The name left his mouth before he could stop it and Theo glanced at the arrow in his shoulder, swallowing harshly. He hadn’t meant to hit him, he even tried not to. The boy in front of him removed his hands from his eyes to look up at him, laughing a few short seconds later. It had confused Theo that Liam had started laughing, why would he be laughing at a time like this? 

The boy shook his head before saying, “I should have known.”

Theo lowered his weapon, ready to ask the boy what he meant when Tara came up beside him, shining her light into Liam’s face. 

“This isn’t the omega we had,” Tara said, “This must be the one who took out Rollins and the rest.” 

“On his own?” Theo asked, he was surprised by that. Rollins was definitely considered to be more along the lines of what one would call “muscle”. 

Theo could feel the boy staring at him, but he was too nervous to acknowledge it. Tara had suggested to use the sword she brought with them. He remembered his father talking about how it was the best way to get rid of a werewolf. 

Theo reluctantly took the sword from Tara, images of the wolf his father killed flashing through his mind as he glanced at Liam. The sword was in his hands now and it made him feel sick and he did not want to do this. Tara’s voice buzzing in his ear didn’t make him feel any better and soon, she was coaxing him to get closer. 

Theo took a step back once he saw the boy appear behind Liam and once the boy touched him, they were both gone. 

“Shit!” Tara yelled, turning around in circles to look for them. 

Theo could feel his heart pounding in his chest, too much had happened, and he felt like he was going to be sick. It wasn’t long until he actually was. 

*

The ride home was fairly unpleasant. Theo wasn’t in the mood for talking right now, not after he had gotten sick in the woods. He was embarrassed and the more he thought about it, he was ashamed.

“You know it’s okay, right?” Tara asked. 

“No, it’s not. Dad’s going to be pissed,” He shrugged, “But, what else is new.” 

“It’s not your fault he got away, Theo.”

“Tell that to him.” 

“I will.” 

Theo rolled his eyes, “I’m not like you, this shit doesn’t come natural to me.” 

“It’s not easy for any of us,” She sighed, “But we do it because we have to.” 

Theo wished it wasn’t so. For the most part, he thought that werewolves weren’t much different than he was, they looked like everyone else on a regular basis. 

“Did you know that guy back there?”

Theo knew he couldn’t lie to her, she was always able to see right through him not matter what. Instead, he nodded his head in reply. 

“Is that going to be an issue?” 

“Probably.” He replied, because it was as close to the truth he was willing to get. Theo hadn’t talked to Liam much but he never had any issues with him other than an unattainable attraction. He should have known it was too good to be true. The first person he had found remotely interesting ended up being the exact type of person his family had set out to destroy. Talk about pure bad luck. 

Their father was waiting for them when they arrived home and Theo followed his sister into his office with his head down. Theo wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye after he messed up tonight, not that he had permission to do so any other time. 

“Theo got his first shot.” Tara said proudly.

“He lost him.” His father said. Theo didn’t have to see him to know that he was sporting an unimpressed look on his face. It was constant when it came to him.

“We lost him. The other one came out of nowhere, it’s nothing I’ve ever seen before, dad.” Tara explained, “They vanished right before our eyes with hardly any trace.”

Theo could tell his father was staring him down long before he spoke to him. It was almost as if his father could burn him with a look. 

“You’re dismissed.” He said with a gruff voice. Theo took no time leaving the room and he wasn’t able to breathe until he was out of there. 

“I don’t know where I went wrong wit him.” 

“He’s trying,” Tara replied. “He was close tonight, just give him some time.”

Theo didn’t stick around for a response and went on upstairs to his room, dropping himself onto his bed. He appreciated Tara sticking up for him, she always has when it came to their father, but he knew his father resented him for it. The way he saw it, Tara was a leader and should have moved on from someone as low in the ranks as Theo a long time ago, regardless of being family. His father felt the same way when it came to himself, only still putting up with him because of Tara or his mother. That much had always been clear. Theo knew he was a failure in his father’s eyes, and maybe he always would be. 

Moving to Beacon Hills had been a mistake, how was he ever going to be okay with his family hunting and killing kids he was going to school with? How many times have they killed kids he went to school with before? He sat behind Liam in class and now he knew that he and his friends were involved in the supernatural, somehow. He wasn’t too sure what the Corey kid was and if he thought about it for too long, he just gave himself a headache. Not that he wasn’t already sporting one from earlier. 

Theo went to sleep with two things on his mind. Liam Dunbar was a werewolf and he couldn’t be more intrigued by him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen.. I don't want to be the person who says "I know it's been seven months, here's a chapter" but like.. hey, here's a chapter 😅
> 
> as always, I hope you enjoy and also if you see any mistakes, which I am sure there are plenty - don't feel afraid to point them out!! 😁💜

At school the following Monday, Liam couldn’t help but keep watch. He kept looking over his shoulder at every turn and wondered what would happen when he saw Theo again. He was suddenly envious of Corey’s ability to disappear. Liam hadn’t seen the young hunter at all in the morning, not that it was unusual as he didn’t have a class with him until after lunch. But he couldn’t help but think that there was a target on his back now. If someone seemingly normal like Theo could be a hunter, who knows how many others around him could be as well. It was nauseating to think about.

As he was making his way to lunch, he heard the distinct sound of growling and he froze in his tracks. He listened for it again to figure out where it came from, once he heard it again he quickly made his way towards it and he swung the door open to the boy’s locker room just as Josh was grabbing Theo by the neck and slamming him into a set of lockers.

“Josh, stop!” Liam ordered, grabbing the boy from Theo and throwing him against the opposite lockers, “What are you doing? This isn’t how we do things!”

Josh got up quickly, squaring his shoulder as he stood in front of Liam. Liam flashed his eyes up at the taller boy and let off a low growl in warning. He would rather not get into a fight at the school again but if it came down to it, he would.

“I’m handling things the best way I know how.” Josh snarled, “Do I have to wait around until they actually kill someone to do something?”

Liam was furious. When Brett retrieved Josh from them the other night, he said he had things under control and that Liam had nothing to worry about. He knew now that he shouldn’t have listened. Josh was staying with Brett but that didn’t mean he answered to Brett’s alpha.

“This isn’t how we do things.” Liam enunciated. “It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Tell them that.” Josh shot back, “Have you seriously forgotten the details here, Liam?”

Liam looked away, of course he didn’t forget and of course he could understand why Josh was so upset. Especially after Theo’s people held him captive and were going to kill him.

“Liam?” Theo asked, panic lacing his tone. Liam turned to find him slumped on the floor before turning on Josh and sending another growl in his direction.

“What did you do?” He demanded, pushing the taller boy away from him. People like Josh or Brett who didn’t think about the consequences before doing things may be taller than Liam, but he was much stronger, especially when his anger showed through. He’d be impressed by how he had caused Josh to almost stumble but he was too upset with the situation to give himself the satisfaction.

Josh sneered at the thought of being pushed around, “Just thought I’d let him know what it felt like to be poisoned for once.”

“Kanima venom?” It wasn’t much a question rather than confirmation in what he already thought.

“Nicked it from your vet friend, the guy seems harmless, but he has a lot of questionable things hidden in that clinic.” Josh grinned.

Liam wasn’t about to fight with Josh, not while there was a guy paralyzed right in the middle of the boy’s locker room and there was a chance someone could walk in at any minute and find them. He just hoped that lunch was enough of a distraction to keep everyone occupied. He’d deal with Josh – and Brett – later.

“Do yourself a favor and get the fuck away from me.” Liam warned, growling low enough to where only Josh could hear it. The taller boy smirked down at him, but didn’t push it any further.

Liam shook his head and walked over to Theo, “Come on,” he said as he pulled Theo upright, leaning the boy against the lockers and squatting across from him.

“Try to calm yourself down,” Liam knew it was useless saying these words, he never had an experience with Kanima venom, but the idea of not being able to move or feel anything was enough for him to know how bad it could be. Theo’s breathing was getting worse and Liam was afraid his heart was going to pump right through his chest. Without much thought, he placed his hand on the other guy’s chest to feel just how fast his heart was beating.

“Breathe.” Liam demanded. “Focus on your breathing, you’re going to be okay.”

It took a few minutes for Theo’s pulse to calm down and for his breathing to slow into something more recognizable to how a human should breathe. Liam swore the other boy would tear something if he hadn’t.

“Why are you helping me?” Theo gritted out. To ask why Liam was doing something like had taken him by surprise.

“Because you need it?”

Liam wished the boy’s eyes were paralyzed as well. Theo was either extremely annoyed over the fact that he couldn’t move his body or was seriously over doing it on the eye rolling because it was the only part of his body that he could move. Either way, it bugged Liam and reminded him a little too much of Stiles for a moment.

“I could have left you alone.” Liam scoffed, “Believe it or not, I’m not the bad guy here.”

That seemed to shut the guy up for a few minutes, at least until his curiosity got the best of him.

“How long does this stuff last?”

“I’m not sure,” Liam shrugged. “I think it depends on the person.”

“What does that mean?”

“I guess it’s like a physical thing. Everyone’s body is different with the healing process.”

“Especially yours.” Theo replied. There was no heat to Theo’s tone but Liam wasn’t sure how to take it, the guy and his family were hunters and it still put him on edge just a little bit, even with the guy paralyzed in front of him.

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Liam shook his head before explaining, “Once it hits your system, it’s going to affect you. You just have to wait for it to wear off.”

“How do I know this isn’t some plan of revenge to take me hostage?”

Liam gave him a flat look, “Trust me, I’d give you back.”  
“Well that’s rude.” Theo replied.

Liam’s expression of ‘are you kidding me?’ must have gotten the message across because Theo dropped his eyes from Liam’s.

“How do I know that as soon as I walk out of here that I won’t end up with another arrow in my body?”

It was then that Liam could once again smell the putrid stench of guilt emitting from the boy. Before he could apologize, Liam saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He snapped his attention to the hand at Theo’s side, seeing his fingers moving the slightest bit.

“Hey, keep trying to move your fingers.” Liam suggested, watching as they started moving a little bit more.

It wasn’t long until Theo could move more. Sure, he was sluggish but he was getting better and with a little bit of help from Liam, he was able to get to his feet. They didn’t go very far, Liam insisted on Theo sitting on a bench for a little while so that he could recover as much as he could before going to his next classes.

“I hate to leave you like this, but I have a big test this period.”

Theo nodded his head, “It’s okay. I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” Liam asked, “It’s still going to take you a little bit of time to recover.”

“Yeah.” He replied. “Go on.”

Liam frowned, he was still unsure about leaving Theo alone but the other boy gave him a reassuring look before moving his arms and legs to show Liam that he was indeed going to be okay. Liam finally made himself leave. If he hurried he could still make it to his class before the test started, he just hoped Theo would be okay and that someone like Josh wasn’t still lurking around somewhere.

*

Theo didn’t make it to class after that and Liam didn’t even catch a glimpse of him for the rest of the day. The parking space reserved for the other boy was empty by the time Liam had made it to his own. Liam was still furious over the whole situation. He could handle trying to live in peace with a hunter going to the same school as him, but having things being made hard for him is not what he at the moment, not when he was trying to prove to Scott that he could handle things. All it took was one person to fuck things up and right now, that happened to be Josh.

Liam took a detour on his way home, stopping off at Brett’s apartment to inform him of his little stray’s dirty work.

“So you’re just not going to do anything about it?” Liam asked, letting his anger nip at the surface.

“All I said was that I don’t blame him for getting a little bit of revenge.” Brett replied.

Liam scoffed and shook his head, he couldn’t believe Brett was so willing to let this slide. “It happened in the middle of the school, in broad daylight. Have you even thought of what would happen if someone else had been the one to find them?”

“Oh, Liam. You’re still on this self-righteous bull? I must say, it sure is a change from smashing in cars.”

“Fuck you. What Josh did is serious.”

“Yeah, and so is getting captured by hunters and thinking you’re going to be killed.”

Liam shook his head, he knew Brett was right but he also knew he was right about Josh handling things the wrong way.

“Why are you so worried about this?” Brett asked while giving Liam a look, it was always like he tried to see right through a person. Liam was half convinced it was a secret power he had.

“I just… I want to prove to Scott that I can handle things.” Liam admitted, “It has been not been very easy without him but I’m trying.”

Brett grimaced, “You should try just a bit harder. Liam, this group of hunters are not to be taken lightly.”

“You know them?”

“Of.” He replied, “I would have to ask Satomi for more information, but I do know that they have been around almost as long as the Argents. That means they know what they’re doing.”

Liam closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to handle this on his own. If Theo’s family was as powerful as Brett was implying, they won’t back down that easy. He would have to figure something out, he just hoped he would have enough time to do something before another person was hurt.

“I’ll talk to Satomi and get back to you.”

“And Josh?” Liam asked, studying Brett’s face. He could tell that Brett was hesitant for some reason. It clicked for him a few seconds later and the realization made his stomach drop. Of course Brett was on Josh’s side. Now he knew the reason.

“I should have seen it sooner.” Liam rolled his eyes. “Just your type. An asshole.”

“If I remember correctly, that used to be your type.” Brett smirked. “That is what you called me, right?”

Liam scoffed before turning to leave, he didn’t want to put up with this any longer than he needed to. “Keep him away from the school and not to go looking for more hunters and we won’t have a problem.”

Brett hummed after him, the sound grating on Liam’s nerves. “Can’t do that. Not when he goes to school there too.”

He was quick to turn around, “What?” He almost exclaimed.

“Made it official today.” Brett replied.

“Great.” Liam replied. He was furious when he left and had let the fact be known by slamming the door to the apartment behind him. His job of making sure things ran smoothly while Scott was gone was going to be harder when he would have to deal with Josh every day.

Liam needed to work out his anger before it got worse. He headed to the preserve to take a quick run. He figured being daylight that he would be safe, that surely a hunter wouldn’t risk getting caught right now, no matter what Brett thinks.

Liam tried running to get his mind off of things, proving it was not useful when all he could do was get lost in his thoughts. He was beginning to think that working his anger out in a more hands on way would be the only thing that could work. He would have to ask his stepfather about that punching bag later. Liam was so distracted by his anger and his will to focus on anything other than his anger that he couldn’t recognize that he wasn’t alone. It wasn’t until he heard the loud clang of metal snapping shut that he realized his mistake.

And then there was screaming.

~*~

Theo was sure that the universe was dead set against him having a good day. If it wasn’t his dad completely gone back to ignoring him at breakfast, it was his mother brushing everything aside even though she knew how bad things were between them. If it wasn’t for Tara, he would have no one. Even though she was the only person who kept him sane, he knew she would not approve of him wanting things to be different. To be born into a normal family, people who cared more for you than their “purpose”.

Theo knew that Tara did care about him, at least more than their father did. She was always willing to help get him out of trouble or help him when needed but when it came down to it, the family business is still the most important thing on her radar.

After Theo finished his breakfast, he placed his dishes in the sink and grabbed his bag to head off for school. He was more than willing to keep his head down and try to blend in after what had happened over the weekend.

Having never been revealed to be a hunter before, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Would Liam be waiting on him? Would he have others like him ready to come after him as well? Theo wondered if he could beg for forgiveness from a group of werewolves and just go about his life to finish off high school without another incident. Deep down he knew that his family would be the leading cause of another incident. Usually they would get the job done and move on with little to no problem, but this time was different because they had seen Theo – they knew who he was – and he had let them escape.

After arriving at the school, he found himself relieved when no one was waiting for him. Everything had seemed to be the same as it always was, people hanging out by their vehicles or on the quad waiting for the bell to ring and the day to begin. Nobody had paid any attention to him as he walked through the courtyard and entered the building.

The day went by as normal and he didn’t catch any sight of Liam or any the people he knew the other boy interacted with. He was starting to think that he was in the clear. That everyone had forgotten about what happened. He should have known that he couldn’t have been that lucky. It wasn’t until he was being forced into the boy’s locker room that he realized it wouldn’t be so.

Falling harshly onto the floor, Theo did his best to get back on his feet to face the person who grabbed him. When he turned, he found himself face to face with the wolf he was meant to kill. Theo could feel his heartbeat rising and the anxiety kicking in as the boy flashed his eyes at him. It wasn’t until Theo caught a glimpse of the clawed hand at the boy’s side that he really started to panic. 

The taller boy growled and bared his teeth. Theo couldn’t help but back away from him, to put distance between them in hopes of protecting himself. There was no way he could make it past the guy to get to the door and he started to fear that he wouldn’t make it out of the room alive, if at all. 

Time seemed to slow as the boy lunged at him, grabbing ahold of him and slamming him into the lockers behind him. Theo underestimated the strength of a werewolf and the only thing he could do was dig his nails into the taller guy’s arms in a futile attempt to fight back.

During the struggle, he could see the boy reach a hand into his pocket and pulling out a small object that glistened in the light from above. As the blade sliced his arm, his attacker was ripped away from him. Theo had barely heard the growls over the fuzz in his ears.

Catching a glimpse of Liam Dunbar through hazy eyes before his body started to go limp, he mumbled his name in confusion. Nothing came close to the feeling of despair as his body slid down to the floor and the overwhelming feeling of nothingness flooded his senses.

On the floor, he felt nothing. Trying to move was impossible. His breathing grew tumultuous and all he could hear was the sound of his own heart beat rising. The panicked feeling grew as he thought his ears would explode. Theo didn’t even realize that someone had set him up against the lockers until Liam’s face came into view through the haze.

Seeing Liam’s lips move but not being able to make out any sound angered him and knew that if he was able to move that he would be grasping at his ears and head to get this feeling to go away.

It wasn’t until seeing Liam’s hand on his chest that the thoughts in his head started to become less jumbled. The first thing he could make out was that of course Liam could hear his heartbeat. The second thought was being angry over the fact that he couldn’t feel Liam’s hand on him. Then he wondered why he was upset over that and also wondered why Liam was here in the first place.

“Why are you helping me?” he asked through labored breathing.

“Because you need it?” Liam replied, giving him a confused expression. Theo tried blinking the best he could, earning a new look from Liam.

“I could have left you alone,” The boy scoffed. “Believe it or not, I’m not the bad guy here.”

The words stung. Liam was right in a way. Liam almost died over the weekend and Theo was to blame for that. Theo knew that his father was ruthless and that his sister was pretty close behind in the matter.

“How long does this stuff last?” Theo asked, attempting to change the subject.

After Liam’s explanation of how everyone’s body dealt with the numbness of whatever the guy had done to him, he found himself at odds with the boy once again.

“Especially yours,” Theo had recalled, knowing that the healing powers of werewolves helped them heal faster than humans.

“Look, it doesn’t matter,” Liam shook his head before explaining, “Once it hits your system, it’s going to affect you. You just have to wait for it to wear off.”

Theo didn’t like that answer. “How do I know this isn’t some plan of revenge to take me hostage?”

Liam gave him a flat look, “Trust me, I’d give you back.”

“Well that’s rude.” Theo replied and suddenly the other boy had a look of fury creep across his face.

“How do I know that as soon as I walk out of here that I won’t end up with another arrow in my body?”

Theo couldn’t help but close his eyes once again. There would be nothing he could ever do to make up for what happened. The guilt that he felt was eating away at him but he couldn’t figure out of he felt more guilty over what he did to Liam or if the guilt was because of what he didn’t do. What he went out there to do.

Before Theo could try to make sense of it, Liam was coaching him into moving his hand. Theo hadn’t noticed his fingers move but knowing that he was regaining movement caused him to get excited, knowing it would be over soon.

Within minutes, Liam was pulling him to his feet and guiding him over to a bench to sit on while he waited for his balance to return. Theo had already made up his mind that he didn’t want to be at the school anymore. 

Maybe he could stay in the locker room for the rest of the day. He selfishly wanted to ask Liam to stay with him, but he knew it wasn’t a good idea.

Of course Theo should have known better. Why would Liam want to stay with the person who could have killed him? Liam had told him that he had to get to class to take a test or something but Theo wouldn’t blame him if he used it as an excuse to leave.

Giving Liam an out by assuring him that he would be fine, the boy had left.

Theo waited until the late bell rang to leave the locker room. He was lucky that no one had come into the locker room while he was waiting for the feeling in his body to come back. He didn’t know how he would explain to someone why and how he wasn’t able to move, or why he couldn’t move fast enough as his body regained feeling.

Once he was able to get to his feet and not stumble, he made his way out of room by using the door leading outside. Not really wanting to stick around and wait to see if someone else tried to get ahold of him.

*

Theo knew that he could not return home so early in the day while his mother was there. Sure he could have explained why he had left school early but he definitely did not want anyone to end up being killed. Tara and their father was already thinking up plans to find and go after the wolf that had been captured and escaped them. Once they learned that he was the same person who rendered Theo defenseless, it would all be over.

The couple of hours Theo spent alone were spent by driving around town to get a feel of the place. Living there only for a short time, he still hadn’t seen most of the town or the county for the matter so he took his time with it. By the end of his trip, he decided to go back to the preserve.

He wasn’t really sure what lead him there. Maybe it was the feeling of wanting to understand why he couldn’t go through with what should have been like a second nature to him by now. What he had been trained his whole life for. He didn’t consider himself a killer by any means and he knew that he could never fulfill what was expected of him.

Theo had just happened to look up and catch a glimpse of someone running on the main trail. He thought his eyes were playing tricks on him when he saw that it was Liam running by. The werewolf didn’t seem to notice he was there and kept on going.

Theo felt compelled to follow after him. To see what all he was up to or maybe to try to see what was wrong with the other boy for him to not realize he was there behind him the whole time.

*

The moment Theo had woken up that morning, he knew it was going to be a bad day. In all honesty, he should have just gone home. It would have been so much better if he had just stayed home, maybe then it wouldn’t have turned out to be such a bad day.

One moment he was following Liam further into the woods and the next thing he knew, the sound of screaming filled his ears. 


End file.
